‘It’s a mess’: Storm hits hard in Glencoe, Highland Park

A vicious storm that crossed the North Shore Tuesday night left plenty of damage in its path.

Hundreds of homes remain without power in Highland Park and Glencoe, as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Commonwealth Edison outage map. Some, but fewer, residents are also without power in Kenilworth and Wilmette.

Officials in both Glencoe and Highland Park said in social media posts that they are in contact with ComEd to help facilitate the restoration of service. Many outages are still being assessed as of press time with no time estimate yet for a resolution.

The storm brought powerful winds through the area, affecting hundreds if not thousands of trees. Village of Glencoe Communications Manager Sammy Hanzel said more than 30 Glencoe trees came down during the event, as well as hundreds of branches.

Highland Park city officials did not immediately return a message from The Record.

Hanzel said village crews in Glencoe worked into the early morning hours and were back at it by 7 a.m. Wednesday with a priority of clearing roadways. She said initially half of Glencoe was without power.

“We are expecting a weeks-long cleanup,” Hanzel said. “… It’s a mess, but we’re getting there.”

The Glencoe Golf Club was also seriously impacted. The course is closed today, Hanzel said, as debris and tree limbs have made it unplayable.

The Glencoe Park District also reported Duke and Lakefront parks are closed Wednesday as crews clean storm damage, including fallen trees.

Residents can move downed branches into the parkway, from where Village of Glencoe personnel will remove them. Residents can report tree damage and flooding to Glencoe Public Works at (847) 835-4112 and the service request portal.

In a mass email to residents, the City of Highland Park detailed its services for debris cleanup, explaining that tree limbs and branches, and any other organic debris, must be placed curbside before 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30.

“This program is intended to assist residents with the disposal of incidental tree damage that occurred as a result of the storm; for large debris, please work with your landscape contractor or tree professional,” the email reads.

Strong winds and a felled tree interrupted service of the Metra UP North train line on Tuesday evening. According to Metra, a downed tree was discovered on the tracks at 7:40 p.m. near the Braeside station in Highland Park. Service on the line was restored by approximately 10:30 p.m.

Stay tuned to The Record as this story develops.

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